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Venezuela
The United States of Venezuela is a nation in the North of the continent. The fall of the regime of the Catfish Goméz has led to an era of democracy and freedom, but the economy of the nation is still dangerously reliant on Oil wealth. History After 1830 a number of civil wars between conservatives and liberals rocked the country. In 1864 this period came to an end with the federalisation of the country and the proclamation of the Estados Unidos de Venezuela (United States of Venezuela). Only the dictatorship of General Antonio Guzman Blancos (1870 - 1887) consolidated the situation. After a few civilian presidents, new military dictatorships follow. General Cipriano Castro (1899 - 1908) undertook assaults on foreign economic interests in his country eventually leading to the blocking of Venezuelan ports by German British and Italian ships. In 1904 the U.S.A. mediated a settlement of the conflict. Economically the abolition of slavery in 1854 led to decreasing agricultural production. The breakthrough to make Venezuela one of Latin America's leading economic powers was made however when at the end of 19th-century petroleum deposits were discovered allowing the industrialisation of the agricultural state. Under General Juan Vicente 'The Catfish' Gómez (1908 - 1927) oil production became the economic foundation of Venezuela. Having remained neutral during the Weltkrieg, the country was able to reduce the state's debts and to stabilise the currency for the time being A significant shock came in 1925, as the British Revolution arrived in full swing. Fearing an uprising in his own nation, and a collapse of the economy, Gomez tried to press the long disputed claim on Essequibo with the British Government. The question almost escalated into War, but American mediation prevented this; while the Royal Navy could well sink the Venezuelan fleet in minutes even in exile, the English knew that the Monroe Doctrine is not to be trifled with. The matter was resolved diplomatically, but the immense tension and discomfort brought by the matter ruined Gomez's reputation abroad The so-called Generation of 26 came into power in 1928 after a coup led by Isaías Medina Angarita and Eleazar Lopes Contreraz deposed The Catfish after a significant scandal involving army funds and British 'reparations' for the Essequibo question somehow ending up in Gomez's own pockets; albeit more cynical journalists noted that the problem was that the actuaçl problem for him was only that he didn't share it with his lower officers. They called for elections, and in the Generation's moderate wing, the Venezuelan Democratic Party swept the parliamentary elections after allying itself with the more moderate Liberal Party. The Socialist Party's schism with the 'class traitors' will have political ripples for years to come, but many saw it as a necessary measure to ensure to the international community, particularly the US, Canada, and Germany, that in no way their oil supplies would be affected. The Oil wealth, coupled with the vast popular support, allowed for a decade of nearly unprecedented growth, but growth has not affected every area of the country equally. And while the claims against Curacao and Essequibo are not in a position to be pressed, as the government claims, a large scale naval expansion program is underway, and many new ships were bought from the United States Politics The very intense division in the Generation of 26 is still felt to this day, and the PSV has adopted a hardline stance and is considered by many a sockpuppet of the Internationale, even if it's at odds with the internationalist CNT. The current period of stability may very well not survive a significant economic shock, and if matters come to it, little can be said of what side the Military will take this time, especially if the US is no in a position to impose its influence. Military The Venezuelan Military is well supplied and equipped, for the Army feared a war with Canada over Essequibo for the last 10 years. If matters come to it, it is now much better prepared than in 1925 Army Buying large amounts of German surplus equipment, the Venezuelan soldier is now commonly seen with the Stallhelm. Army reforms are modeled on the powerful machine that won the Weltkrieg, but such effort is still ongoing Navy Venezuela underwent extensive naval expansion since the Gomez regime fell. The navy is still small but consisted of 2 state-of-the-art US built Bolivar Class Battlecruisers and 10 destroyers also made in America to defend its coastline against possible European invasions. Air Force Venezuela posses 40 planes of mixed German and American manufacturing, organized into one Naval Wing of 20 craft and one Dogfighting Wing of 20 craft. = Foreign Relations Venezuela has: * Friendly relations with Colombia, The United States, and Germany * Unfriendly Relations with France * Poor relations with Canada and the West Indies Federation The Curacao and Essequibo matters are still relevant points of foreign policy, and if the Entente shows signs of weakness, there is little doubt Venezuela would act on said claims. Economy Venezuela's economy is almost entirely based on oil and oil exports. Germany and the US, ever thirsty, continuously buy Venezuela's production and those profits are used by the government to fund great public programs, including welfare ones. If the sales stop or diminish abruptly, the very lifeblood of Venezuela may be in danger Culture The Generation of 26 and it's intellectuals influenced by the British Revolution and the ideals of universal liberty and freedom have greatly impacted the nation, even if they politically are not as strong as a glance could assume. The vast oil wealth changed Venezuela, and some folks think not for the better, as industries and oil wells fill the sights of many places See also * Colombia * Ecuador * West Indies Federation Category:Countries Category:South American countries